Page 297 of By His Rule

The second Lorelei returns, I wrap my arm around her and press a kiss to her temple.

Hendrix and Noelle watch us closely while Wilder is distracted with his cell, and I can’t help but wonder if they’re both wishing they could have something similar.

I guess only time will tell.

“Are you guys ready to head out?” Lorelei asks, keeping an eye on the time and ensuring they’re not late for school.

She’s going to be a great mom one day.

The thought hits me out of nowhere and my entire body freezes, something that she doesn’t miss.

Turning to look at me, she gazes into my eyes, forcing me to breathe again.

“You okay?”

I breathe out, my chest aching in the best kind of way.

“Yeah, I’m good. Are you sure you’re okay to return to Chicago?” I ask, changing the subject.

She doesn’t want to. I can see it in her eyes. But she also knows that we need to return to reality.

Wilder is fine now; plus, he’s got Hendrix and Noelle to look out for him.

I would say he has their mom too, but she seems to be MIA. When I asked about her, I got quickly shut down and the conversation changed around me.

Something tells me that meeting their mom might have pushed Lorelei a little too far. Letting me into their home, their lives, was hard enough. Their mom is an entirely different issue.

She shrugs one shoulder. I get it. Half of her heart lives here. But it won’t be that way for much longer. The second these two have got senior year done, they’re free to move anywhere they want. Is it weird that after spending only a few hours with them, I want them in Chicago with us?

“Work calls, I guess. And my boss, he’s a control freak. I dare not piss him off.”

“I’ve heard he’s the worst kind of tyrant.”

Lorelei smiles. “That and a few other things.”

“Sexy?” I whisper in her ear. “The best fuck of your life?”

Lorelei giggles like a schoolgirl, and Wilder and Hendrix groan as if they’re in pain.

“Stop it,” Noelle chastises. “It’s cute. And Lorelei deserves it. I’m going to take these two knuckleheads to school, leave you guys to it.”

“You don’t have to do that, we can?—”

“Enjoy the rest of your morning,” Noelle says, sliding out from the other side of the booth.

“Thank you,” Lorelei says, pushing to her feet and pulling the younger woman into her arms. “We’ll see you soon, yeah?”

“Yeah. You know where we’ll be.”

“Not for much longer,” Lorelei promises.

“Still feels like a lifetime away.”

Lorelei squeezes her hand as they part before turning to her brothers.

As she hugs Hendrix, Wilder holds his hand out for me.

“Thank you,” he says, holding my eyes. “We’re trusting you to keep looking out for her.”

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